


Jack's Birthday

by PlayfulMay



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-19
Updated: 2016-08-19
Packaged: 2018-08-09 20:04:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7815271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlayfulMay/pseuds/PlayfulMay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Jack's birthday and he gets a surprise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jack's Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> Happy early birthday Nathan! This is a Jack birthday fic - well, not that Nathan would want this for his birthday. Oh, never mind!  
> Set some time after season (series) 2.

Jack Robinson hated his birthday. He awoke grumbling when he remembered it _was _his birthday. He hadn't enjoyed his birthday since he was a boy, no matter how others had tried to throw him friendly parties or entice him into their bed. It never made aging any more appetizing. If anything, it only reminded him that one day he might be too old for all of that.__

__He dragged his feet down the hall of his house to get ready for the day - looking in the mirror for only a second before looking back down to his hands. He could do it. He could get through the day unscathed. Then he worried about Miss Fisher: would she throw him a surprise party as she had the last year even though he'd confided in her how he hated them? Would she show up and sing to him in front of everyone? Would she access special favors to decorate the station in his honor? Jack grimaced at the very idea at such grand gestures aimed at reminding him of something he very much wanted to just forget, _thankyouverymuch _.___ _

____After readying himself for the day, Jack drove grumpily to work and was pleasantly surprised that nothing seemed amiss. No one even seemed to remember the special day, and for that, he could breathe a little easier. His birthday was not a happy day._ _ _ _

____He went on silently cursing the tradition of celebrating one's day of birth until he met Miss Fisher that afternoon, however - a soft yet warm smile dancing on her lips. She seemed somehow less armoured than usual. She appeared like velvet to him - comforting._ _ _ _

____"Jack?" she asked, certainly remembering it was his birthday with the sparkle in her eye, but gratefully not speaking a word of it. They stood over a body at the crime scene, speaking to each other in expressions._ _ _ _

____"Yes, Miss Fisher?"_ _ _ _

____"I need to speak with you about another case at lunch," she stated as if they were formal colleagues. She glanced down to the body and then across the field to Dot before she fixed her eyes tenderly on Jack's: "Alone. Just you and me at the beach."_ _ _ _

____"The beach?" he smiled, surprised at his own reaction._ _ _ _

____"Yes, I have something I need to discuss with you," she finished, giving him her predictions and thoughts before actually leaving the scene._ _ _ _

____It was unusual, but Jack was glad to be on his own. He feared the beach gathering with her, as a matter of fact, as there were often so many people at the beach. The beach itself wasn't awful, but on that particular day, Jack just wanted some peace and quiet._ _ _ _

____"Inspector?" he heard from behind him, twisting to the trainee he had taken on alongside Hugh - a young man who spoke more than Jack would have liked. "I have a question ..."_ _ _ _

____Needless to say, it was a long morning until lunch. Jack thought for a moment about taking the afternoon and just going home, but then he remembered Phryne's velvet smile. Phryne._ _ _ _

____When leaving for lunch, he let Hugh know that he wasn't feeling up to work that afternoon, but he would be in first thing the next morning. Jack then piled his things in his arms and loaded his lunch, hat and briefcase into the car._ _ _ _

____He went home first, leaving his things there but for some reason unwilling to change. If Phryne wanted to swim, that was fine, but he certainly wasn't feeling the need to leap into the frolicking, tiresome ocean._ _ _ _

____Jack grumbled all the way to the beach, in fact, until he parked and realized it seemed to be completely empty. Immediately, he felt calmer._ _ _ _

____As he walked down from the walkway to the sand, he looked around to see an umbrella that seemed unnecessary with the cloudiness that afternoon. He knew it was her, and yet he found himself surprised it wasn't some sort of party. Was she there alone?_ _ _ _

____He walked tiredly through the sand in his shoes until he stood just three feet away from a beautiful woman reading a book - of all things. And he'd be damned if it wasn't Phryne Fisher reading Zane Grey. A little smile pulled at the corner of his lips, no matter how he tried to fight the reaction. She'd made him smile._ _ _ _

____"I hear he's good," Jack interrupted, pleasantly surprised to have actually caught Phryne Fisher - infamous lady detective - off guard._ _ _ _

____She dropped the book and put on a smile for him that grew as she took in the sight of him standing there. "Yes ... I'm surprised, if I _must _be honest."___ _ _ _

______"You must."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Phryne grinned at the way he stood so glumly with his hands in his coat pockets, appearing completely out of place at the beach._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Well ... if I _must _be honest," Phryne started, shifting over to pat the spot at her side. "Then you must try this wonderful shade with me."___ _ _ _ _ _

________Jack looked up to the dull hues of the cloudy sky, and back to Phryne with amusement in his eyes. "I think I already am."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"No," she insisted, resting the book down at her side to lie flat on her back, closing her eyes. "Come lie here with me and just close your eyes, Jack. Just try it. It's peaceful."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Had she read his mind? Did she know how terribly he wished just to sleep the day away? Phryne of all people could not have simply come across the feeling._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"It might look quite improper to-"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Relax?" Phryne balked, turning over onto her stomach to rest, leaving Jack under no watchful eye. Leaving him to do as he pleased, how he pleased._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________For a moment, Jack admired the languid form that was stretched out before him, but before he could entertain forbidden thoughts about Miss Fisher, he craned his neck to admire the ocean. He _had _always admired it with its relentless, rolling waves and fascinating blues.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________When Phryne remained unguarded and quietly resting, Jack felt there was no harm in simply sitting beside her on a large blanket on a public beach. It was his birthday after all, and he always had made it a point to do at least one thing he desired on his birthday. More than anything, he desired to close his eyes there next to Miss Fisher - away from the watchful eyes of others. Behind that umbrella, he would look just like anyone else to passersby. He could remove his station. He could be a man lying with a woman friend along the beach. Could things be so simple?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He was willing to try._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________By the time Phryne felt him settle on the beach blanket beside her, the sun had shimmied its way partially out from behind a cloud. Phryne smiled at the glowing sand, and twisted over carefully to see Jack lying on his back with his hands clasped behind his head and his eyes blissfully closed. He had only taken off his coat, but he immediately appeared to be stripped of so much more._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________She watched his chest expand and contract with deep, full breaths until she was quite certain he'd drifted off there beside her. Phryne sneakily went to his feet and unlaced his shoes, caring for him when he couldn't push her away. She snuck his shoes off before glancing up to his sleeping face only to see him _watching her _of all things!___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________"Jack ... I ... thought you were asleep."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________"I almost was. And then there was this strange woman undressing me ..."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________"Hardly undressing you," Phryne chuckled with a roll of her eyes although she felt caught all the same. "You just looked so tense earlier, and after last year's fiasco ... well. I wanted to make it up to you. I wanted you to relax."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________"I can relax with my shoes on."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Phryne made a face and rolled herself onto her back beside him, forcing her eyes closed. "Well that's the last time I help you relax, Jack Robinson."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Jack had to smile at the stubborn pout on her face. Phryne had been a constant presence in his life since he'd met her, although a more thorough interruption than she'd ever been before. She was an interruption Jack didn't entirely mind, if he was honest. He never really minded her when he thought about her honestly. Phryne was so beautiful and loving and accepting. She was a curious creature._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Phryne was just wondering what on earth she would ever do with that infuriatingly stoic man when she felt an arm slipping under the back of her neck. Without so much as a glance around, she felt herself pulled to her side against Jack's - one of her legs naturally crooking over both of his knees. Immediately, her lips grew into a satisfying grin. Jack Robinson was holding her, and she was holding him right back. It felt so perfectly divine._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________"I hope it's _not _the last time," he said low, and with meaning.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Phryne smiled with her eyes still closed, wrapping her arm over his chest and squeezing him for one long moment. She inhaled and gleefully listened to the beat of his heart._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________"Well," he sighed as if he were irritated in the least, at last allowing himself some proximity with Miss Fisher in the flesh. "Aren't you gonna say it?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Happy birthday. Phryne chuckled and squeezed him again: "I have made quite certain _not _to say it, Inspector."___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Jack felt so blissful with her in his arms, listening to the waves of the ocean and grinning up at the eternal sky. It made him feel that perhaps birthdays weren't as dismal as he once imagined. Perhaps they weren't a memory that all good years since his birth had gone, but a celebration that he'd had them. And maybe - for the first time in a long time - he felt that the future was promising enough to celebrate, too. He had held Phryne, and she'd gladly held him back. It wasn't sexual, and Phryne wasn't flirting with him. She was holding him as if she understood him completely._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Then Jack remembered her careful quietness, and found a wonderful comfort in her caution. Regardless, he moved his hand from her side to her hip and back again, comforting her back: "I know what day it is. As peaceful as this is, Miss Fisher, you haven't fooled me into forgetting, I'm afraid."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________"Alright then," Phryne inhaled against him again and smiled: "Happy birthday, Jack."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Surprisingly, for once since he was young and naive, it was a happy birthday indeed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


End file.
